The 7 Cs of Copywriting

Good copywriting underpins any website. Without it, visitors won’t stay very long and are far less likely buy your products or services. So, how do you create content that will keep your audience interested?

We’ve put together a list of 7 copywriting Cs that will help you craft content for your website that engages your audience and converts.

Clear

The message you’re trying to convey to your audience needs to be clear, otherwise you’ll fail to interest them at all. There’s nothing more annoying than having to trawl through content to tease out its meaning as it’s too elaborate or not structured correctly. You need to stick to the point you’re making and don’t deviate by incorporating irrelevant topics.

If you’re attempting to convey several ideas in a piece of writing, then focus on one at a time. Consider using bullet points and headlines, as they aid clarity, and avoid jargon and confusing terminology. A call to action at the end of your writing also makes it clear how the reader can get more information, get in touch with you or make a purchase. For some inspiration check out the MailChimp website – they’ve mastered the art of sticking to the point.

Concise

You really can’t achieve clear content without also being concise. Writing in five sentences what you could have conveyed in two is a big turn-off for readers. So, don’t pad out your content with irrelevant filler just because you think a piece of copywriting should be longer.

Avoid continuously repeating the same words and phrases and don’t repeat your point over and over again. While adjectives are useful in accurately describing your concepts and painting a picture to the reader, avoid over-using adjectives so writing doesn’t become too flowery. Also, try to keep your sentences and paragraphs short – online readers digest information far more easily in shorter bites. Evernote’s home page is a great example of concise copywriting.

Coherent

Your content needs to have a distinct topic and a logical structure – a beginning, middle and end with clearly defined points. Without these elements your audience will find it difficult to follow your line of thought or argument, making it more likely that they’ll simply click away from the page.

Every point you make should be relevant to the main topic and consistent with the aim of the content. Think about what it is you want to achieve and what question you said you would answer in the title. This blog post by Rodale, a health and wellness content company, has a well-defined and coherent structure that allows for a detailed topic to be covered coherently.

Concrete

Concrete copywriting doesn’t deal in wishy-washy concepts, it gives readers a clear sense of what it is you’re promoting, focusing on facts and tangible ideas. When making claims in your content, use examples and back up assertions with evidence.

It’s important not to make over-exaggerated claims about your product or service, as readers can easily see through this. Or it can lead to disappointed customers if they receive something that isn’t as described. A good example of concrete content is CNET’s Best GPS Systems for 2018. This review page is factual rather than conveying the opinions of the reviewer, making it more authoritative and trustworthy.

Correct

Correct copywriting knows its audience and how to target them. You should write with your audience in mind, using an appropriate tone of voice, writing on topics of interest to them and answering their questions.

The content on UrbanDaddy, an online luxury lifestyle magazine for men, is the perfect illustration of well-targeted copywriting. Its content covers a wide range of topics from the lifestyle sector, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously, preferring a fun, light-hearted style designed to appeal to its target audience of cultured, style-conscious men.

Courteous

Courteous content can be achieved by using open words or phrases with positive connotations such as ‘can’ and ‘will do’ rather than words/phrases like ‘can’t’ or ‘not possible’, which are likely to create feelings of negativity in the reader.

Most importantly, courteous content is empathetic to the reader and their needs, so always consider their viewpoint when crafting your content. Innocent’s page promoting their ‘magnificent mango’ drink is a perfect example of courteous content – it’s full of honesty and positivity and considers the reader’s point of view when making its pitch.

Complete

Content that has all the necessary elements of a well-crafted piece of copywriting is ‘complete’ content, and so has the best chance of converting. Ask yourself: Was it written with your audience in mind? Is it factual and to-the-point? Have you included all the relevant information and taken out anything that’s not relevant? Is it well-structured, with a beginning middle and end, all broken up with headings? And have you added a ‘call to action’ so the reader knows what to do next?

Take a look at the content on Intrepid Travel. It covers all the bases, providing just the relevant information potential customers will need to make an informed choice, all broken up into bitesize chunks.

Figuring out how to create great content for your website can be overwhelming, but if you keep the 7 Cs of copywriting in mind you’ll find the process much more straightforward.

To find out more about how good copywriting can make a positive difference to your website, get in touch today.